


Past, Present, Future

by ChillBowieTriad



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Anal Play, Dildos, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Female Relationships, Gen, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2014-01-06
Packaged: 2017-12-20 07:45:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/884755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillBowieTriad/pseuds/ChillBowieTriad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lin Bei Fong isn't one for emotions. Since her break with Tenzin, she's been dedicated to her work and little else. But will the hardheaded Avatar be able to change that? Will she be able to resolve her lingering feelings for the man she once loved?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Propositions

"The girl isn't ready," Lin stated flatly. Tenzin frowned. Lin stated everything flatly, but he suspected it wasn't out of a serene, inner calm. Her words came across hostile, dismissive: he didn't care for it. He had watched her change from a jovial and fierce young woman to an older woman of just the latter, with a dash of bitterness which he felt responsible for. Every time he talked to her the air was strained, and he felt guilt and anger and despair swell violently within him every time he saw her. Pema had won his heart-but she had left scars in her wake.

"Why do you say that, Lin? If I didn't know you better I'd swear it was out of a personal dislike," he huffed. Her eyes, sea-green in the coming dark, flashed at that, and her slender fingers sliced through the air to emphasize her annoyance.  
"The girl is pretentious, arrogant, and demands accolades unbefitting of her actions. She is impulsive to the point of stupidity! What do I want with a brat like her?" the chief of police demanded. Tenzin felt the need to defend Korra from Lin's unnecessary brutal (though accurate) observations, but reminded himself he was here to get Lin on his side. He tried a change of tactic.

"Why do you think I want her to train with you, Lin?" he asked quietly. Her next angry remark, primed and ready, died in her throat at the softness of his tone. He hated that every conversation that they had was a debate, every word measured and placed for a specific purpose. He knew that his sentence would sway her, but he wished he could express to her that he really meant it, that he wasn't just playing politics on behalf of his pupil. He saw a hint of uncertainty cross those strong features.

_-a picnic by the riverside. deep cool waters. the first time he saw her unclothed. the first time she said, "I love you"-_

Tenzin bit his cheek at the memory and pressed his advantage.  
"Lin, you have years of experience and training that would be invaluable to Korra. That would help her think, and not get into the situations that she does," he said, real frustration and concern bleeding into his voice.  
This earned him a reluctant grin. "She does have a knack for it, doesn't she?" Lin replied. Tenzin stroked his goatee with a thoughtful look, but couldn't hide the smile forming behind his hand. On an impulse she didn't realize she had, Lin reached up and touched his cheek. He froze, the slightest blush creeping into his cheeks. She used to love the way he blushed, so sudden and disarming.

"Lin, what-?"  
"Relax, councilman, you're wearing a bit of your breakfast," she quipped nonchalantly, scraping the nonexistent sauce off of Tenzin's face with perhaps a bit more vigor than she had planned. He took it without question, but a red patch where her finger had been remained on his skin. Lin was embarrassed at her pettiness, and even more embarrassed at the notion that Tenzin would see through her charade. But she couldn't help the rush of vindictive pride that captured her when she saw the mark she had left on the man she had once loved's skin.

_-she bit him hard below his ear, and felt him shudder beneath her as her tongue reached out to sample his sweat--_

Lin dug her nails into the palm of her hand at the memory. What was with her today?  
Tenzin stared at her intently, waiting for an answer, but half immersed in the play of sunlight on her hair.

The chief of police straightened and brushed an imaginary spec of dust from her immaculate uniform.  
"Tenzin, you have some of the best judgment I've ever come across in a person, as much as I don't like to admit it sometimes." Her gaze settled on the departing sun, but when she turned to face him she wore her characteristic determination like clothing. She hadn't seen the genuine surprise and abashment on Tenzin's face at her admission.  
"I'll help you, councilman, and I'll help the girl. But I can't do anything for her if she doesn't want me to," said Lin.

Tenzin released a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding.  
"Lin, I can't thank you enough. Truly," he said. "I know Korra can learn so much about discipline...honor...bravery-"  
Lin cut him off with a wave of her hand and a wry smile that was all her. "Oh, get out of here, Tenzin. You got what you wanted."  
He stepped closer to her desk. "Lin, I mean it. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

She looked at him and for a moment she was lost in those blue-grey eyes, so full of sincerity and warmth—for a moment her defenses were down. Then she said, "Shouldn't you be getting back home, councilman?" in a voice that was not friendly. He stepped back, and she could tell from his hooded look that she had hurt him.

"Yes. Yes, you're right, I should," he said. He bowed formally to her. "Good evening, Madame Chief Beifong." He left in a whirl of orange and tan, strong graceful movements carrying him out of her office and into the coming night. She watched him go from her window, guilt creeping into her conscience. He was a good man. He hadn't deserved that.

But as she pulled the yellowing picture of them together from a compartment below her desk, another flash of anger captured her. Today would have been their anniversary. Had he even remembered? She wanted to tear the picture to shreds, but something always stopped her from doing so. Lin couldn't remember the number of times she had tried to destroy it, but found she hadn't the heart. She held back a tear and the ensuing sensations in her throat, and thought that after what Tenzin had done, he could stand to be a little more hurt.

~

"You said she was acting strange?" Pema asked, pulling Tenzin out of his reverie.  
"No, ah, not strange per se, Pema but...I don't know. I can't quite put my finger on it," he said.  
"It's not your job to figure out what's wrong with her, Tenzin," Pema said, a hint of acid mixing in with her normally sweet voice.  
Tenzin was a little annoyed. "I care about her well being, Pema, she's an old friend and-"  
She stopped him with a kiss. He was silenced by the comfortable feel of her lips, and his conviction wavered ever so slightly. When they parted she looked up at him with knowing brown eyes.  
"I know you care, my love. You should care. But I'm not sure it's anything out of the ordinary, so much as it is her residual feelings about the past."  
His wife resumed her dish washing, but looked back at him and said sympathetically: "She's never gotten over you, you know."

He looked away, uncomfortable. He suddenly remembered, voiced aloud: "Today would have been our anniversary-" He looked at Pema, sudden understanding flooding his features.  
"Oh."  
Tenzin considered this new perspective over the last of his rice. He got up from the table and kissed Pema distractedly on the forehead.  
"I love you," he said.  
She held his hand. "I love you too."

He walked out into the rain, seeking the solace of the meditation pavilion.  
 _I didn't make the wrong choice_ , he thought to himself. He bended himself skyward and released his glider, navigating the stormy clouds with an experienced precision.

So why did he feel so awful?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments appreciated :)


	2. Lessons

"You have to feel the ground within the man-made structure, Korra," Lin lectured. She noted the beads of sweat forming on the young woman's brow, denoting her concentration and frustration. Lin was surprised at how dedicated Korra had been to her training as a metalbender. Then again, they'd only been working together for a week. It hadn't been all sugar and rainbows—Korra being Korra and all the fights which accompanied that.

Still, the chief of police was impressed with the young Avatar's focus. Unbeknownst to her, Korra had been trying with all of her will to impress Lin; she realized the not-so-favorable impression she had made on the strong woman when they had first met, and she wanted to change that. Through her usual hotheadedness and stubborn recalcitrance, she recognized Lin as someone deserving of respect. Even if she disagreed with her somet—well, okay, a lot.

"There! There you did it!" Lin shouted. The block of metal which had been sitting motionless before them on the sunlit pavilion jumped like a Satomobile engine...and fell again, only several yards from where it had originally stood. Lin allowed herself a smile, but saw the Avatar slump defeatedly onto the steps.

"What are you—what is the matter?" Lin asked, annoyed. What was this pouting about?  
"I...I'm not improving. I haven't...I can't even move-"  
Lin kneeled definitively before the despairing Avatar. A hand, pale and filled with vigor, placed itself on Korra's shoulder and she was forced to stare into emeralds.  
"Korra, you have shown more aptitude in this week than some of my finest officers showed in a month."  
She saw the vulnerability and exhaustion that colored Korra's features, and felt a sudden stab of emotion.  
"Korra..." she breathed gently, feeling like the name had been punched out of her. In that moment, she empathized completely with the young woman—with being uncertain of her abilities; with feeling like she didn't measure up. Trying to fill the shoes of her mother had not been an easy task, and though she loved her mother with all of her heart, she would forever exist in her shadow.

She knew what it was like.

"Between this and Amon and my training as an airbender I...I just want to be good at something, you know?" said Korra, averting her eyes once again. Had she been in a better state she would have cursed herself for showing such insecurity to anyone save Tenzin—but something about having the iron-willed and iron-clad police chief stick up for her so forcefully made her feel small...and so enormously grateful she didn't quite know how to express it, if she could at all. This was the last thing she had wanted—to show weakness in front of a person who (for all intents and purposes) had none. Korra had expected to be berated, judged—but she hadn't been.

A sleepy smile touched her face as Lin sat beside her on the steps. Lin, lightly embarrassed at how much emotion she had just displayed, tried to come up with something else to say ( _maybe something a little less gushy? Spirits knew the girl was full enough of herself already as it was_ ) but before the pink lips could part Korra said: "Thank you, Lin."

Lin jumped a little at the sound of her name on Korra's lips (the young Avatar had been going out of her way to call her Chief all week), and even more when the tired young woman slumped comfortably against her shoulder.

She felt a ridiculous heat rising in her cheeks, but caught herself quickly. _Don't be a fool_ , she thought wryly. Korra was quickly falling into a soothing oblivion—Lin couldn't keep her eyes from wandering over restful charge.

Golden rays lit the young woman's summer-auburn locks, highlighting the richness of her skin and the long dark lashes which framed the fiery azure eyes Lin had so often argued with. This wasn't the first time she had noticed the girl's beauty, but she had seen it in the detached way of a simple observer, not from the perspective of someone who cared for her. And Lin was starting to care, against her better judgment-Korra had turned out to be a better person than she had ever been prepared to give the Avatar credit for.

She took the only half awake young woman and propped a receptive arm over her shoulders, standing to lead her up the stairs. Ignoring their closeness, she led Korra to a sleeping chamber inside the little temple. It was a simple affair, a small but neat futon laid adjacent to a large bowl of water, with a bamboo mat for shoes propped in the corner of the room. A thin sliding door protected the room from watchful eyes.

Lin lowered the now fully asleep Korra gently onto the bed. As an afterthought, she bent down and wrestled the young woman's inappropriately winter-ready boots (Lin had always found them ridiculous, but they seemed now more endearing than anything) off of her feet and dropped them on the mat.

She stood, feeling satisfied at the morning's work and its...well...adorable end.

I guess you save all that spunk for when you're awake, huh kid? she thought. As if in response, Korra curled herself into a ball around the thin pillow on the futon. Lin bit back a smile. She was about to leave when another thought struck her.  
 _Should I leave a note?_  
The notion made her feel several ways at once. Lin grabbed her lower lip in her teeth, an action which used to drive Tenzin crazy (she never knew if in a good way or a bad way). Tenzin...would Tenzin leave a note? She rolled her eyes. Of course he would. She glanced once more at Korra.

 _She'll be fine: you're not Tenzin, that's the whole idea._

Lin put a hand to her forehead and sighed—why she was giving the matter so much consideration was beyond her. She shut the screen quietly behind her, looking forward to the next lesson.


	3. Office Work

Someone's Sat had swerved way too close to the curb for the comfort of any pedestrian. Tenzin wasn't the yelling type, but whoever it was had gotten oil onto his monk robes—just in time for the cross-council summit they were having. He cursed his luck and poor car maintainers in general before flying into the building in a flustered hurry. To top off his general disheveled appearance, he was late. The receptionist stared critically at him over wire-rimmed spectacles, but said: "They're in the second door to your left, councilman."

He thanked her and jogged over to the intimidating double doors. He faced them, straightening his posture and brushing himself off as best he could. He took a calming breath before opening the door.

It creaked awfully.

Fifteen pairs of eyes glared and/or stared at him as he shut the door with the same agonizing results. He winced visibly.

"So nice of you to join us, Tenzin," said a smooth, persuasively-inclined voice.

 _Well, at least I didn't miss anything important_ , he thought, half grim and half entertained by Tarlok's high opinion of himself. Not that he didn't deserve some recognition—he was a driven man with a mind for strategy and politics. Tenzin just wondered a lot whether he had other people's interests at heart.

"My deepest apologies," he said humbly, a slight bow accompanying his words. He seated himself at the far end of the table , and saw a slender gray eyebrow raised in his direction—Lin. She gleamed in semi-monochrome perfection, even as her expression lightly scolded him. He shook his head, and she took it to mean he would explain later.

The meeting was uneventful, except for the bit about the Amon Task Force. Tarlok was (of course) lobbying for increased executive power, and to Tenzin's dismay he was granted it. Only two legislators and one other council member disagreed—and Lin.

He was surprised: as chief of police, he figured that she would (understandably) support Tarlok's crackdown. But she argued against it on the grounds that, to nonbenders, the increased public show of force would only validate Amon's portrayal of the government and benders in general. She, like him and the other dissenters, were overruled, but he was touched by her support and resolved to tell her so.

There were light refreshments being served after the meeting, and many of its participants stayed behind to mingle and discuss current developments. Not Tenzin—he grabbed a cup of tea and and hurried after the definitive sway of Chief Be Fong's hips.

"What a load of shit," she said bluntly when Tenzin caught up to her. He did a double take, both scandalized and amused by her language. He laughed.

"That's one way of putting it," he agreed tangentially.

"Hmph," was her reply, extracting a cigarette from her pocket and lighting it with an expert flick of a lighter which hadn't been in her hand two seconds ago.

Tenzin frowned, both at the act and at its practiced nature. She looked at him pointedly and blew out a breath of smoke. His eyes narrowed as she rolled hers.

"Oh yes, yes Tenzin, I'm burning at both ends. But its given my voice that particular husk which has been attractive to so many individuals over the years," she sallied. He fought a smile and lost. Lin was in a fine mood today and he found himself enjoying it.

However, he still felt the need to say: "Those things are bad for your health, Lin, you really should quit."

She shrugged. "I'm fifty, unmarried, and I'll be dead soon anyway—what do you want from me?"

He tone was more morbid than it should have been, and Tenzin noticed. He cleared his throat, uncertain of how to comfort her.

"Lin I—I just wanted to thank you for having my back in there," he told her. His words had the opposite of their intended effect.

"Why does everything always have to be about you, Tenzin?" she asked.

"I—what—?" he began, nonplussed.

"You assume that I was against Tarlok just because I'm aware of your rivalry?"

Tenzin was getting flustered. "That's not at all what I was suggesting, I—"

"Listen, Tenzin." She stopped and faced him, her cigarette flaring accusatorily in the afternoon light. "I disagreed with Tarlok for my own reasons. I listen to your opinions because they're usually good ones, not because it's you that's giving them." She exhaled and looked at him sternly. "You're much more full of yourself than people realize." She turned to leave.

Tenzin was about to say something in response, but he refused to say it the police chief's back. To Lin's complete surprise, she found herself being spun around and pulled closer to Tenzin than was decent. She was pinned to his chest by the hands which were clasping her shoulders. He held her gently, as he did everything else, but there was no waver in his grip.

"Lin Bei Fong," he began measuredly. "All I meant by my statements was" —he paused, perhaps noticing their proximity but refusing to be deterred, even as spring colors danced across his cheeks— "that I appreciate your advice and your attention to my own. In these uncertain times you are perhaps one of my truest friends and my greatest ally."

_-when they kissed it was a smoldering fire, calm but insistent in its heat as her hands reached for his pants-_

He let his brief soliloquy linger in the charged air between them before he relaxed his hold, slightly. Her hands were still against his chest: she could not bring herself to move them. She would not look at him, and he felt a familiar surge of frustration and despair.

"Can I not tell you as much, without angering you?" he asked softly. Her heart was in her throat and she hated it, hated that he only meant his words in the most platonic of senses and hated that she cared. She broke their embrace.

"Tenzin..." she said, and he wanted her to understand. God, he just wanted her to be happy and he felt like a prick for putting such importance on himself in making that happen. She backed away, then looked at him fiercely.

"Don't."

She had tried to sound collected and insistent, but her voice was compromised and she knew he would hear the emotion in it. She turned away and strode briskly toward Police Headquarters. He didn't follow, but watched her go with a dull, aching sensation in the pit of his stomach.

She allowed herself one more shuddering breath before composing herself and walking inside.

"Heya Chief," said a rookie, one of her trainees. He smiled brightly at her, but she gave him only a brisk nod before retreating into her office. She shut the door and breathed deeply through her nostrils before turning around.

Korra was in her office. Lin jumped and instinctively began to bend before she caught herself.

"Korra, what the—"

Korra...here? But it was more than that.

The young woman's body was nearly naked in a thin, blue-stringed bikini. Her foot was lightly touching the edge of Lin's desk, highlighting the shape of her calf muscles and exposing her entire inner thigh, barely stopping before the suit covered the most exciting parts of her. Korra's hair was wet, and droplets of water splashed onto her shoulders and ran in the space between her barely-concealed breasts.

Lin's heart was pounding and her cheeks were flushed, something she knew she wouldn't be able to hide. _Dammit_.

"Oh hey, Chief," sparkled the girl, as though she were completely unaware of the effects she was having on the other woman. _Because there aren't supposed to be any other effects, you're her teacher for spirits' sake..._

Lin cleared her throat, trying to keep her eyes from roaming over that light chocolate skin. She tried outrage.

"Korra what are you doing in here? My office is typically off-limits to civilians, spirits knew how you got in here—" started the police chief; Korra waggled her eyebrows suggestively and it took severe effort not to walk over to her and slap her, just to get all the excess energy out "—and shouldn't you be dressed in something a little more...decent? You know, being the Avatar and all?" she finished sardonically.

Korra shrugged and languorously stretched her shapely body before standing up, offering Lin a wonderful view of the young woman's backside.

"It's just a bathing suit, Lin, you don't have to get all parental on me," Korra pouted. "Besides—" she grabbed the towel hanging off of the chair ( _My best chair!_ Lin would think later, annoyed at the girl's boldness and lack of regard) "—I had this wrapped around my waist most of the time."

Lin bit her tongue as she watched the young woman's arm muscles tense and define themselves as the towel covered the girls legs and waist. A part of Lin was regretful that Korra had resumed her (slightly) more chaste look—a part of her which she was trying to beat unsuccessfully to death in the corner of her mind.

"Remind me what you're doing here," she said dryly.

Korra shrugged again. "I was on my way back from the pool and I wanted to see you," she said, tossing her lustrous bangs to the side of her face.

"I—well—there are other ways of contacting me than showing up to my office half-naked, Korra," Lin growled, flustered.

Korra winked and Lin's stomach did a backflip.

_Dammit!_

Before she could say anything else, Korra seated her (wet!) self in the chair facing Lin's desk. She leaned her head back and looked upside down at the police chief with mischievous blue eyes.

"I'm not here to bother you, Chief," she told the other woman. "Just pretend like I'm not here."

Lin rolled her eyes. "Fat chance of that, Avatar, you go out of your way to bully your presence wherever it's not wanted," she said.

Korra stuck out her bottom lip petulantly, and Lin wanted to slap that cute look off of her face before she ended up doing something really stupid.

But she was a woman of iron temperament and professionalism, and so she seated herself calmly behind her desk and began to review case files.

"I like your office, you know," Korra said. Her eyes roamed the sparse but classy décor.

Lin looked up exasperatedly. "Korra—"

"All right, all right, I'll shut up," she said, holding her hands up in mock surrender.

Lin bit the inside of her cheek and tried not to smile. "Thank you."

She resumed her review of the documents. After ten minutes of silence, Lin looked up and realized (pleasantly) that Korra was still sitting across from her. She looked alert, despite not having spoken for longer than Lin could ever remember her being silent. The older woman shifted aside the papers and looked fondly on her young charge.

"What did you do today, Korra?" Lin asked.

Korra blinked at her, then smiled slowly in a way that was somehow mature.

"Well, Chief, I went to the pool with Bolin and Asami and Mako—" she gestured to herself "—hence my uncouth appearance."

Lin stopped trying to keep her smile in check. "I see. Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, I did, actually. You'll have to meet them all sometime. I just wish Asami would stop hitting on Mako so openly, you know? It makes everyone uncomfortable," said Korra.

Lin's face lost some of its exuberance (or, whatever was exuberant for Lin). "I see...because you like this Mako boy, right?" Her perceptiveness wasn't always kind.

Korra's blush, for once, did not excite her. "Well...I don't know. It's complicated."

Lin could certainly understand—but she wasn't about to tell the Avatar.

"Well, you should do whatever feels right to you," said the police chief, suddenly re-immersed in her paperwork.

After a moment, she said: "I think you should go, Korra. I've got a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it." She kept her voice flat.

"But I—" the young woman began.

"Korra." The hard green eyes stared at her. "Go on, now."

Korra stood up, hands on her hips.

"Well, if you insist, Miss Forever Grumpy." Lin didn't reply.

Suddenly, a soft hand trailed itself gently over her knuckles. She looked up quickly, locked eyes with Korra who said: "Til our next lesson, then, Chief." The young woman winked over her shoulder as she left, cerulean disappearing behind mahogany.

Lin stared at her hand.

_Dammit._


	4. Epiphany

The thickening shroud of night courted the lengthening shadows on the streets of Republic City. Tenzin strode amid flickering lampposts and between the soft glow of bars and restaurants. It was raining lightly, which was of no concern to him, but the orange-red flower he held carefully in his hand was protected from nature by a steady bubble of air.

He didn't know why it was so imperative for Lin to forgive him, for her to understand that he still cared about her even if (especially if?) they were no longer together. Again, he knew he was making assumptions—about the extent of her loneliness and his ability to fix it, if he was even the one to do that—all of it was awkward detective work that he could only trust his instincts on.

He sighed as he wandered through a half-familiar street. If she rejected him again this time, then he would chalk it up to Pema's explanation of a sullen and deep refusal to share emotion with him because of their past. If not...

He stood in front of a door he hadn't chanced to knock on in almost a decade. The house was modestly arranged, but clearly expensive. He steeled his nerves and rapped strong knuckles across the rich wood, and waited. He felt ridiculous: there was no guarantee that she would be here, and even if she was—

The door opened abruptly.

There stood Lin, in a long black satin robe made immodest by the kind of garb she normally wore. Her skin, pearlescent in the moonlight, almost reflected the rain's heaven to earth pattern. She was noble, her strength giving her a grace Tenzin never understood but had always yearned after. He swallowed, trying to belie the racing of his heart.

"Lin I—I'm sorry to disturb you at such an hour—"

"Come in," said the husky voice. She had already turned, and he followed the white sheen of the satin's lunar reflection, uncertain as to what would happen between them—what would she have to say?

The rooms were barer than he was used to, but what furnishings there were were tasteful. Lin had an obvious liking for Western-style interiors, and it showed in what she put in her home. He smiled a little at the single-color rugs, the plain but artful chairs, the wooden table in the middle of the room.

"Would you like some tea? I was just about to put the kettle on," she told him. Her face was a mystery, hidden behind falling slate.

"Yes I—I would like that Lin, thank you," he managed.

The metal pot pinged quietly as Lin set it on the stove. It rang in the still air as he debated moving closer to her, all poise and vigor. But she was soft tonight in a way he had never seen her be—she was usually all angles in words and in shape, but tonight...

 _Stop_ , he told himself.

"What's with the flower?" she asked, busying herself with finding the proper tea leaves to steep the water with.

Tenzin had almost forgotten he was holding it.

"Ah it's—it's for you," he said.

She turned around and looked at him then, with eyes that didn't pierce—only questioned.

He took a step toward her and held it out, feeling oddly like a schoolboy, something which he couldn't reconcile in the internal mechanics of his emotions. She took it, and their hands touched. There was silence as she looked at it under the night's light, turning it clockwise between her fingertips. It was a lovely flower. She tried not to smile as she filled a small, empty vase with water and set it aside on the marble countertop. Maybe she could get this—his brand of understanding and empathy. Maybe she didn't have to hate Tenzin.

_\--the sound of the waves hit him as hard as the smell of her hair, the smell and taste of her skin--_

Tenzin would leave Lin's with four half moons on his palm—a product of his nails.

"Lin, I would ask you to just hear me out, before you say anything. I..." he stumbled a little, almost losing track of the thread of thought he had been running along for hours beforehand, "I just wanted you to know that...I'm here for you. We all are. But me especially. It's been...rough between us these past years and I take full responsibility for that. But now, things are in turmoil. And it's made me see who I can trust and who I can't. And I trust you with my life, Lin. And even if you can't appreciate that trust—which I can understand, considering all that I've put you through—I...I'd be honored if you would at least accept it. Lastly...Lin, I'm sorry about the way things turned out between us. It—"

"Stop, Tenzin," she said. A pit dropped in his stomach. The silence that followed was heavy as boulders for him; for her, it was a needed pause before she could say what needed to be said.

"Your trust...having it...means more to me than you will ever know."

His chest tightened at the words, a release of his fears and guilt—an embrace of the possibilities between them. He let out a sigh that Lin didn't fail to catch. She smiled grimly.

"It's not easy for me to admit that," she said.

The kettle whined insistently, like a child, and Lin shifted to turn it off. The sounds of hot water being poured ebbed and flowed around the edges of her voice. She put the metal pot down on the counter, her shoulders silhouetted by late conversations and sleepless insistence.

"I am the best at what I do, Tenzin. I am not my mother, but I have kept her legacy and the dream of her police force alive and well. But I don't imagine I didn't give anything up in the process."

She was staring contemplatively into the dark, an action that was a luxury. Tenzin wanted to reach out and hold her, never let go—he wanted to tell her that she was the most amazing woman he had ever met. He settled for putting a hand on her shoulder, the supple fabric of the clothing hiding the impressive scars beneath. To his utter surprise, she reached a hand up to cover his—his nerves lit at the contact, a spark he hadn't anticipated. The skin of her palms was rougher than his, but the shape and taper of the long fingers was still quite feminine. He smiled as he looked at her. She would be annoyed by the characterization.

"I think we should drink the tea before it gets cold," said Lin.

"Oh. Of course," he said, as he took his hand from the steady heat of her body. She handed him a cuppa that was somehow less warm than she had been.

"Thank you." he said, sipping the rich flavor of the boiled leaves.

Suddenly she was against him, the bright reflection of her hair pressing into his chest with a quiet insistence. He almost dropped his tea as her arms wound around his waist. The moment hung suspended, then he returned her embrace with his eyes closed, praying that she couldn't hear the racing of his heart.

_—"Lin I don't see why-" "And I don't see why you can't support my career, Tenzin!"—_

He held her all the tighter.

Lin pulled back just enough to look at him and tell him: "Thank you for coming here tonight."

He wanted to say a million things to those sharp green eyes, but he only said: "Of course, Lin."

She smiled, an expression that was unobtrusive for her, but it was breathtaking just the same.

He stayed for about another half an hour. They chatted about the small things, about his wife and kids, about her job. There were quiet chuckles and shared memories, a peaceful talk between old friends about the direction their lives had taken. When he saw the time, he stood up and said: "Spirits, I didn't realize it had gotten so late."

"Time flies when you're talking about yourself to other people," said Lin.

Tenzin laughed. "I had forgotten how funny you were."

She shrugged noncommittally. "So did I."

He felt that rush of emotion again, a mix of shame and guilt, and was about to say something apologetic, something meaningful and true, but Lin followed gently: "Go on home, Tenzin," and she smiled. Three smiles, this night: he kept them like trophies.

Lin walked him to the door as they made promises to have lunch. He felt strangely regretful as one foot followed the other across her threshold, leading him into a new day. He turned to make his body and her home a cross.

"Goodnight, Tenzin," Lin said.

He wanted to make new observations, new conjectures about the shape of her face and the muscles in her neck, but there was nothing more to say. He knew her, and yet he did not.

"Goodnight, Lin," said Tenzin.

She watched him go, and considered yelling something like, "Be safe!" after him ( _spirits knew how many of Amon's lackeys were roaming the streets at this hour_ ) but she knew he would take every care he could. She shut the door, and retreated into a bed she rarely got the opportunity to sleep in. It welcomed her.

And as she came to the realization that she could move on, that the steadfast friendship and quiet loyalty and understanding that Tenzin offered was not beyond her, he came to the realization that he was still in love with Lin Bei Fong.


	5. The Party

Korra picked at the cottony fabric of her red dress. It was a tad short, but a little thigh never hurt anyone. She supposed that one of the older guests might make a comment, but in typical Korra fashion she could give a damn. She appraised herself in the mirror, baring her teeth in a fierce scowl; then, trying on her most salacious expression; her trademark good-natured grin took its place.

"Korra!" called Pema from the other room. "I need your help getting these hors d'oeuvres outside!"

"Coming!" promised the young Avatar.

She had a brief internal conflict germane to how her hair should be worn (her makeup had been done earlier by a mature-for-her-age-but-still-her-age Jinora—Korra had had the good sense to do some touch ups), and at last pulled the worn bands free and let the brown strands of her long hair cascade down. With a defiant smirk she headed outside.

"Lookin' good, Korra," said Meelo, giggling and flashing her a thumbs up as she headed to the kitchen. She rewarded him with a smile and: "You too, Mr. Fancy-Pants Suit!" She missed him tugging irritably at his tie as she rounded the corner.

"Thanks for helping out, Korra," said Pema as she handed the young woman a plate of small sushi.

"Of course, Pema. You guys have made my stay here great—I want to do everything I can to help out," said Korra. Pema smiled, then went: "Oh!" She dropped the knife she was holding.

"Pema?!" Korra's voice had gone up several octaves, and she rushed to her side.

"It's the baby…but in a good way."

Pema took the young Avatar's hand and placed it on her swollen belly. Korra's expression, concerned to the point of almost battle-readiness, brightened as she felt the tiny life inside Tenzin's wife reach out.

"I felt it!" she exclaimed. The baby kicked again, and they both giggled.

"Won't be long now," said Pema lovingly. Korra smiled.

"I'll see you out there, Mrs. Hostess," she said, taking the plate of finger food with her.

Every year one of the City's councilman was obligated (ad arbitrium, of course) to host a snazzy but relaxed gala of sorts for all the who's-who in Republic City. Much to Tenzin's chagrin, it was his turn, and while Air Temple Island was a dream locale for such a party, he had been even more flustered and excitable than usual the past week. Korra and Pema had expected this, and promptly took over all managerial and organizational tasks—with Korra doing most of the heavy lifting (almost always literally) and Pema making sure everything came together smoothly. Tenzin had come back yesterday, preoccupied and fretting, to find that his home had been transformed into the perfect party atmosphere. He had hugged them both, and then absconded with his wife to parts unknown. Korra had winked knowingly after them, instructing Jinora to look after her brother and sister, then had left to her room to dress—thinking of one person in particular.

Lin stepped inside Tenzin's home, which was almost undistinguishable as such. She was promptly coat checked by a handsome young man in a tuxedo, which left her barer than she was used to. She exchanged quick pleasantries with a couple co-workers, one of whom was the young officer she had been training.

"Enjoying yourself, rookie?" she queried, grabbing a cocktail glass off of a passing tray and downing the contents in one swift go.

The officer, whose name was Tseten, spun around and stood at attention. Lin laughed, and he lowered his arm, puzzled.

"Relax. I really meant my question. The general hand-pick you to head out here?" she said.

He smiled. "Yeah, Chief. I'm obviously pretty excited about it. You look amazing, by the way."

"Just try not to make a fool of yourself," she said, grabbing another drink. A small lift at the corner of her mouth told him that she meant the comment good-naturedly. "You might want to try your smooth moves out on those ladies over there." He followed her gaze, and took a drink himself.

He saluted again. "See you later, Chief." Lin watched as he walked over to the pretty young women, who giggled as he approached. He threw her a happy glance.

Korra had already put all the hors d'oeuvres down, and she stood back to observe the fruits of her handiwork. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the food and themselves (or was that just the drinks?). Korra had already had quite a few herself, and was feeling a pleasant and heady buzz as a result. Well, regardless, they'd have something to talk about the next d—

Lin.

The background of voices and shifting bodies fell away as the young Avatar gazed the vision in front of her. A white half-silk, half-cotton strapless dress fell nearly to the floor, exposing the defiant scars on Lin shoulder which Korra found unbelievably attractive. Her strong collarbones and elegant neck begged kissing. White elbow-length gloves adorned her arms. Korra reached for another glass with a somewhat trembling hand, and thanked the spirits that the drinking age was eighteen.

The lady in white floated (or so it seemed to Korra) outside onto the pavilion. She could only follow, and her last entirely coherent thought of the night was that any actions she made could always be blamed on the alcohol.


	6. "You're Drunk!"

Lin went outside to get some fresh air, feeling the slightest bit claustrophobic at the near-constant presence of acquaintances within a three foot radius. She wandered out onto the pavilion and leaned her arms against the wooden railing, inhaling the scent of the sea and watching the lights of her city wave to her from across the bay. She was glad (though she would never admit it) that Tenzin had persuaded her to come to the event. It had been…nice, so far. She heard approaching footsteps and quipped: "No luck, Tseten?"

She turned around, but it was a student of a different kind that she encountered. It was Korra. In a red dress, with her hair flowing down her back like earth music, blue eyes ocean notes.

"Heya, Lin," said the young woman. The stunning, gorgeous yo—

 _Stop it!_ screamed the police chief to herself.

"Hello, Korra. Still working on your whole decency act, hm?" Lin said. The Avatar laughed, rich and free (maybe a little too free—Lin wondered briefly if she had been drinking), and stepped closer to her on heels that forced an outline of toned thighs. Lin swallowed.

"You don't like it?" asked Korra breathily, batting long eyelashes at the older woman. They were about a foot away, but Korra changed that by putting a hand on the banister, in the space between Lin's arm and side.

Lin felt herself blushing and tried furiously to stop, to pretend like she didn't feel every pump of her life's blood soar through her.

"I-I didn't say that I didn't like it, I—"

Korra edged her knee against the soft fabric of the police chief's dress, in the space between her legs.

"I— _Korra!_ What are you do—"

In the moment Korra pressed her body against Lin's she also pressed their lips together. Lin felt the girl's hand reach up and caress her face, leaving a trail of tingling sensation. The time between the kiss's beginning and Lin's termination of it was occupied by breath and heat, by longing and lust, by a release of inhibition and a warring of desire and duty. There was a second where Lin felt guiltless pleasure at the contact, where the flush in her face traveled down her torso and hit right below it, spreading warmth an irrevocable want.

Then Lin pushed Korra away, grabbing her arm in a grip which (in the young woman's current state) turned the pain into something else.

"What the hell are you doing?!" whispered the police chief fiercely. She wiped the lipstick that had been smeared at the corner of her mouth by the young woman's lips away, leaving a damning mark on her white glove. She let out a hiss of disgust and frustration.

"I was kissing a beautiful woman," replied Korra dreamily.

Lin's head was swimming with a dozen emotions at that answer, emotions that she shouldn't have but emotions that wanted to consume her and that were yelling at her to claim those lips again.

"You idiot!" she continued instead. "Do you even—we're in the middle of a public gathering, do you have any idea what a fool you look? What a fool you are making me look?!"

"I just wanted to know what you taste like…" the young woman trailed off. Lin could hear the slight slur in her voice, and for a minute she was irrationally angry. She dragged the mostly agreeable Avatar behind her, out of sight of most of the partygoers. She needed to talk to Korra, but not here.

She found Pema, which in any other circumstance would have been an awkward encounter, but it was the least of Lin's concerns at the moment—or, at least, tertiary.

"Oh, hello Lin. You look lovely," said Pema neutrally.

"Hello Pema. It's good to see you," said Lin. Pema peeked behind her, an eyebrow raised.

"Is that Korra behind you?" Pema asked, a little surprised.

Lin pulled her former lover's wife closer, and whispered in her ear: "Korra has gone a little heavy on the cocktails tonight. I'm going to take her back to my house for the night—no one needs to see her here acting a fool, and there's no guarantee you can persuade her to stay in her room for the remainder of the night."

During Lin's pitch Pema's face changed from annoyed to questioning to agreeable.

"Fair enough, Lin. Will you bring her back in the morning?" said Pema.

Lin said, "Of course," and turned to go. A hand fell against her forearm, and her inquiring gaze was met with a smile.

"Thanks for looking out for her," said Pema.

Lin smiled back. "The things we do for the young, right? I was rather enjoying myself—but don't tell Tenzin."

They both laughed.

"Which reminds me, I never did congratulate you on your new arrival," said Lin, nodding toward the other woman's pregnant tummy. Pema placed a hand over it and rubbed gently in circles.

When she looked up, she said: "Thanks Lin," and smiled again.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

She left the house, Korra in tow. Although strangely touched by her recent interaction, her iron temperament promptly returned. She all but threw Korra into the police-issue speed boat (more luxurious than the standard issue, due to the fact that the general had insisted Lin take his personal cruiser out for a spin). She revved up the engine, almost forgetting about Korra's physical presence in the midst of fuming over her recent actions, reimagined by Lin's beginning-to-ache head.

The boat sped along the bay, throwing up a fine spray in its wake. Lin piloted it aggressively, almost recklessly. The arms winding gently but a little sloppily around her waist jolted her out of her haze.

Unfortunately, the boat jolted too, spinning out of control in the (thankfully empty) waters.

"Korra!" Lin yelled, turning on her heel once she had gotten the vessel to settle. She was about to continue her tirade, but the moon on Korra's dark skin and the suppleness it elicited stopped her. Those blue eyes looked at her, searchingly, coyly.

"Do you really dislike it that much?" asked the young woman as she came closer.

Lin was panicking. _Not again. I won't be able to—_

"Mmmnnn—"

_—stop…_

Korra's mouth found hers again under the starlight, and Lin Bei Fong found that she didn't have the heart to pull away this time. Her breath hitched as the girl brushed back the hair from her face; bit back a moan as Korra ran slender fingers teasingly across the fabric above her nipple; melted as the young Avatar took one of Lin's hands in her own and guided it up her knee. Lin's eyes opened in shock when her fingertips were unhindered by cloth—they touched the wet folds of Korra's heat with no resistance, and it was with horror and ecstasy that she watched the young woman throw back her head and groan.

"Lin," Korra whimpered, and it was so exquisite that Lin found her teeth at the girl's neck, biting with perhaps more force than she had intended. It excited Korra: her hand trailed sensuously down her own torso and between her legs, kneading her most sensitive spot, filling herself with waves of sensation while Lin forced herself to break their embrace.

Her marble cheeks were bright red, and she caught gulps of air as if she were drowning.

"Korra you—you have to stop…" It was almost a plea.

"Lin…" began the young woman as she started to remove her clothing. "I thought that, from all of this"—she took off her shoes, one by one—"you would realize that I"—her hands found her hem of her tight fitting dress, and she shimmied out of it in one smooth movement—

The red cloth fell to the wooden deck. Korra stood caressed by nothing but air. Lin's stomach was made of butterflies.

"—don't want to stop," she finished.


	7. Irrevocable

She waited another moment, before going over to where Lin stood rooted to the spot, all ridges and tension. She took the other woman's hand and kissed the open palm, lightly grazing it with her teeth as she pressed her mouth against it tenderly. Lin shivered. Korra looked sincerely at her from behind the shape of her own hand:

"Are you going to make me beg, Chief?"

Lin stared at the beautiful girl in front of her, so honest and real in her appraisal of her attraction, and found herself falling.

"Korra…" she said, and it was like a spell.

She leaned in and kissed the young woman, at first with all the care of a childhood sweetheart. The hair on the back of each other's necks was explored; the feel of skin and the rush of desire. The kiss deepened—Korra wound her tongue around Lin's, entering the other's mouth with a youthful vigor Lin was equal to. Her hand gripped the back of the young Avatar's head, entangling her fingers in the soft brown hair. Korra had begun to unzip the back of Lin's dress—when it reached just above the older woman's tailbone, she slid her hand under the fabric and grabbed Lin's ass with an insistence that made the police chief moan.

When they broke apart they were both panting, hot with passion. Korra eagerly helped Lin out of her dress.

"Let me take these gloves off too," said Lin. They joined the pile adjacent to the small bench on the inside hull. Korra ran her hands over the exposed white skin, taking a moment to marvel that this was really happening.

"I'm sorry I'm not…you know…" Lin trailed off awkwardly, irritated at being made to feel self-conscious. To her surprise, Korra laughed.

"Lin…you are the sexiest woman I have ever met," she said. She took a step back to admire the muscled torso, the lovely scars, the curvy waist and the well-shaped breasts. Lin slipped her fingers between Korra's before leaning in to fasten their lips together. Lin thought that it would happen again, that subtle but unstoppable escalation, but Korra had other plans. She pulled back and kissed between the chief's breasts, then licked from navel downward—

"Ah!" cried Lin as Korra licked her, taint to clitoris, a path that made the older woman thrust her pelvis forward in a way that was far from reserved. Korra's tongue wasn't particularly skillful (Lin wondered briefly if she had ever been with another woman before—the thought came with both a feeling of relief and a stab of jealousy), but the fact that it was _Korra_ kneeling so prettily in front of her, Korra that wanted her the way she did—

But Lin wasn't used to this, to being the receiver and not the giver. And an instinct was rising, one that urged her to do things that would make the young woman groan and beg and arch in all kinds of ways…

Lin trailed her finger under Korra's jaw, hooked beneath the chin to gaze into her eyes. The expression on Korra's face, salacious and innocent at once, made Lin ache in her heart and below. She knelt and nipped lightly at the space between the young woman's collarbone and shoulder.

"Unh…" was the response, and it emboldened the chief.

A slight blush still coloring her porcelain skin, she teased an already-erect brown nipple with her tongue.

"Put it in your mouth," gasped Korra.

"How do we ask for things, Korra?" Lin countered. She took the nipple between her thumb and forefinger and squeezed lightly, moving Korra's whole body.

"Please," whimpered the young woman.

At once, Lin covered the dark bud with the heat of her mouth, swirling her tongue around the areola before sucking—gently at first, but with an increased force that matched the volume of Korra's cries—the nipple itself. The young Avatar's hand slipped in between her own legs, and when Lin pulled back to watch Korra pleasure herself she found she couldn't take it.

"Lie back," she said, and it was a command—one that Korra was more than happy to comply with. The tension coiled in her stomach undulated back and forth in a pattern which was threatening to overthrow what little restraint she was still tentatively holding onto.

"Oh, fu—unh!" she cried, and there went the restraint—as Lin overloaded the young woman's senses by sucking forcefully on the essence she had so sweetly exposed to the night air. Korra squirmed and shuddered as her vaginal muscles contracted under Lin's expert ministrations, closing tightly, achingly, around nothing but—

Lin slipped a finger inside her and she gasped, bucking her hips so that the digit slid, hard, in and out, in and out...another finger was added, and another, until Korra found herself kneeling, ass turned up to the sky while Lin thrust against the sensitive muscles of the young woman's pussy.

"Do you like it?" came the low, unintentionally seductive question. Lin thought she knew the answer from the way Korra's juices coated her fingers like honey, pooling slowly on the deck. There was no answer immediately forthcoming: flushed and made desperate by what the older woman was doing to her, Korra could do nothing but twist and moan into her touch for another two minutes.

"Lin…"

Korra finally got herself together long enough to sit up—Lin's fingers still buried tantalizingly inside her—and gazed into the forest of the other woman's eyes in all their emerald hardness, depth. The kiss they shared was gentle enough to break Lin's heart.

"Oh, Korra…" she heard herself murmuring. They exchanged breath—in and out, in and out…

When Lin got on top of the young woman again, it was with a slowness that spoke of a hidden tenderness. The spaces between their legs touched, pressed, to a simultaneous exhalation and exhilaration. Korra felt—with a rush of surprise, bliss, and a hint of fear—her anus tighten and come close to vibrating as Lin moved their bodies together, angling herself in such a way that it pleasured them both. Korra reached up and traced the fine structure of the older woman's cheekbones, ran her fingertips over the firm outline of her lips. Fire raced across the surface of her skin and beneath as Lin took that finger in her mouth and, gazing at Korra with an intensity that made the young woman tremble, bit down and sucked until she held the literal taste of Korra on her tongue. The young Avatar felt herself edging closer to the threshold of orgasm.

"Lin I—I want to come with you in me," she breathed. She meant, of course, that she wanted to feel the police chief's fingers manipulate the reaches of her pleasure, wanted to feel herself close around the other woman's hand as she found climax. But Lin had other ideas.

She got up—to Korra's instant dismay—and went below deck. The young woman sat up, a thousand thoughts running through her head (most of them related to how, exactly, she could have screwed this up, how what she just said could have offended her lover), and when Lin returned she was in state of high agitation.

"Did I—" she began, but Lin held up a finger.

"Korra…have you ever been with a man?" she asked. A lump of metal, shapeless but quite solid, gleamed quietly in her left hand.

"No, I haven't but—what does that—"

Her question was answered as she watched, mesmerized, as Lin closed her eyes and concentrated—watched as the metal began to smooth out and even; watched as it wrapped around Lin's waist and over her openings to connect in the back; watched, as the metal rotated itself into a phallic curve.

When she was finished, Lin cupped the head in her hand, looking a kind of magnificent to Korra. The older woman's face was tinged a light pink.

"Is this…disagreeable to you?" she asked.

Korra laid back down, a sinuous expectation in her movements. She looked at the other woman between opened legs, and reached down to part her lips with her fingers, giving Lin a lovely view of her vagina.

"Won't you take me, Chief?" she groaned.

Lin didn't disappoint.

She bent over her for a third time, and found her teeth grabbing her bottom lip as she watched the crafted dildo enter Korra—the young woman arched as she felt the warm metal slip inside her, and Lin began almost at once to thrust. They were long and hard at first—Korra moaned every time the top of it brushed against that spot inside her which she found brought an electrifying amount of pleasure, would twist mournfully as came languorously out, only to moan and grab at her breasts as Lin bucked her hips forward again in a smooth, deep motion.

It was good for Lin, too—she had made two nubs in the harness (one for her pussy, one for her ass), and every time she moved they rubbed against her in a way that she wasn't sure she could take for very much longer.

The thrusts came faster now: Korra was letting out lustful little squeals every time Lin pressed against her clitoris, and Lin couldn't help but bend down and tongue the inside of the young woman's mouth as she fucked her. Coming up for air, she held the inside of Korra's knee, bending her leg back so she could watch her apparatus driving hard into Korra, who was biting her forefinger to keep from crying out in earnest. Lin's connection to the metal made it feel almost as though it was her own flesh buried inside the girl, and in her minds eye she mapped Korra's innermost regions. When her fingernails pressed gently against the entrance to the young Avatar's ass, Korra's blue eyes opened wide and she groaned.

"Unnhhh…Lin, keep—ah, keep doing that please," she implored the older woman.

"Doing what?" asked Lin huskily. She hadn't slowed pace, and teasingly ran her fingertip over Korra's anus. The young woman thrust her pelvis forward pleadingly, and Lin slipped a finger into her ass.

"That?"

"Ah…yes…"

Korra' arms wound around Lin's neck, and sparks flew as they saw themselves reflected in each other's eyes. Korra kissed her partner hungrily, knowing that she was close. Her orgasm took her in the next moment, and Lin pressed her lips to the curvature of Korra's throat as the young woman came.

"Unnh!" she cried, and Lin felt every muscle in Korra's body tighten sensuously as sweet juice leaked out of her vagina and onto the wood, spilling out of her with more force and in more volume than either of them had anticipated. Every part of Korra was sensitized in the extreme, the hot and monumental presence of Lin still inside her making her shiver as the contractions of her vagina and ass decreased, slowly, to the occasional throb.

"Spirits, Lin…I didn't know…" she breathed.

But Lin hadn't finished yet—watching the young woman climax had left her in a similar state, and it only took a few more thrusts before she felt herself go over the edge. Korra wrapped her legs around Lin's lower back, pushing the dildo in as far as it would go, as the older woman was claimed by her orgasm. Korra's lips fell against hers as their bodies twined together, breasts and skin touching under the moonlight in the middle of the bay.

Lin felt the warm ebb and flow of Korra's caresses as she rode out the last waves of her pleasure, and staring into the young woman's eyes brought on a sudden swell of emotion. She kissed Korra hard to cover it up.

They lay softly against one another, as midnight turned to morning.


	8. The Next Day

She had taken the day off: it was that serious. 

Via telegram--she had never really gotten into the swing of the whole telephone thing--she had feigned illness to the Department (though a select few coworkers would later snicker about the Chief being unable to handle a hangover) and stayed in bed the majority of the day. Sleep was a precious commodity for the policewoman, and the practical part of her embraced the opportunity to re-energize. Lin Bei Fong had never been one to go down without a fight, but when there was no chance of victory she was always respectful (if a tad grudging) about her concessions--of which there were few. There had only ever been one other occasion when her emotions had beaten her composure, and that incident was just about the last thing she wanted to think about at the moment. 

Well, not the last. The last kept replaying itself in her head just the same, in that contrary way the brain was wont to do. 

_"I'm not the one for you, Korra. Why can't you see that?"  
"Because you're wrong!"_

Lin turned on the tap and let the warm water soak her hands. It was soothing, if not therapeutic--she could complain of no regular joint stiffness or pain, but she wasn't as young as she used to be. The heat felt good as she picked up the dishes and began to wash them, her motions smooth and even. It wasn't often that she got to sit down and cook. She kept her enjoyment of the distinctly feminine art quiet, though--when they were together Tenzin had always teased her about hiding it. She sighed. That was a long time ago. 

Lin set the dishes to dry and poured herself a rare glass of wine. Wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, she trudged upstairs. As she opened her bedroom door she noticed the red carpet on her hallway floor was the same color as Korra's dress. 

_There was sunrise in her hair to match the hurricane in her eyes._  
 _"Lin, why are you doing this? I thought that this was the start of something. I thought that--"_  
 _"You think a lot of things, Avatar, but you're not always right, now are you?"_  
 _The growl in the back of the young woman's throat made the Chief's stomach ache in a way that was not unpleasant._  
 _"You can't do this. I won't let you."_  
 _Lin laughed. It was a harsh and bitter sound._  
 _"Let me?"_  
 _"I thought--" Korra's voice caught._

Lin smiled grimly and opened her bedroom door. The curtains were pulled shut, denying the daylight. She sat on her bed, legs pulled up so her chin rested on her knees, arms curled around her body. What if it had been _she_ that had made the mistake? 

"Pfft." A lock of silver hair flew past a green eye--Lin sipped aggressively from her glass. _The only reason that you would want that to be true,_ she thought to herself, _is so you could be with the girl sans guilt._ She sat the wine down on her bedside table and sank into her sheets, gaze locked on the serenely blank ceiling.  
"Purely selfish reasons, I agree," she muttered.  
But, what if they weren't? The Chief frowned.  
What if she had hurt the feelings of a young woman whose intentions were good? What then?  
"You are deluding yourself if you think that the Avatar could seriously have feelings for you," Lin told the ceiling. She hesitated, then reached for the pack of cigarettes which lay half-finished beside her pillow. Normally she didn't smoke in the house, and certainly not in her own room.  
 _But hell,_ she thought as the match flared, _while I'm busy breaking rules I might as well break some more._

The smoke eddied from her nostrils as she took two long drags, ashing the cig in a glass container one of the detectives had given her as a birthday gift. But the tobacco didn't calm her, as she'd hoped it would. 

_"You're afraid," said the Avatar._  
 _Lin, characteristically, snorted. "Of what?"_  
 _She saw the frustration on the young woman's face and felt a rush of self-righteousness. What could Korra know about being alone?_  
 _"You're afraid to feel."_

"Bullshit."  
She was always feeling. That's why everything was so hard. Lin rubbed her face against the heel of her palm, groaning. That same practical part of her knew she was being childish, stubborn. Toph had always said she was too proud for her own good.

Lin chuckled. Her mother hadn't exactly been the pinnacle of humility either. But maybe...

"Korra was barely even in lust--she'd had Spirits know how many drinks last night and I was just there. And I am not in love with the Avatar."

Or, at least, that's what she was going to keep telling herself. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rejection never sat very well with Korra.

Everyone at Air Temple Island, if they hadn't already and at various paces, learned the art of walking on eggshells. Tenzin had the misfortune of asking how the rest of her night had been--he was treated to a sullen and red-eyed glare, and what he could have sworn was a hiss. He couldn't tell whether or not her eyes were a product of the alcohol or, perhaps, her tears: he didn't ask. He didn't know whether or not it was something Lin had said (though he found this to be unlikely); in a roundabout sort of way he had heard that things between Korra and Mako had grown tense of late. But he also knew that Korra would share if and when she felt the need, so he (and everyone else) left her mostly alone for the day.

She spent the better part of the afternoon meditating, and it was one of the few times that she truly appreciated the act. But as night descended, the young woman had an idea.

Korra leaped up and ran inside the house. Pema didn't even see her come in, she was moving so fast--only a gust of wind and the briefest glimpse of blue gave any indication of her.  
"Korra?" Pema called.  
A head poked itself around the corner. "Yes, Pema? Is it okay if I use the phone?"  
"Of course. Is everything all right?"  
The Avatar smiled. Tezin's wife was one of the few people who could ask questions like that and Korra not feel patronized. "I'm great. Thanks for asking."  
"Good."  


Korra picked up the rotary and dialed the Sato Mansion. Asami picked up after the second ring.  
"Sato residence, this is Asami speaking."  
Korra swallowed. "Hey, Asami, it's Korra. I was just wondering if you'd like to go out with me tonight. We could grab the guys and get some noodles, maybe visit that new nightclub downtown?"  
Silence on the other end. Then: "That sounds like a good idea."  
Inwardly, Korra breathed a sigh of relief. She knew (in that truculent way of hers) that she hadn't treated Asami very fairly. From the getgo her jealousy and resentment had been pretty obvious--she was beginning to regret that now, especially because Asami never really returned her animosity. By that same token, Asami didn't really have any incentive to be accommodating to her, either, and yet she was.  
Korra smiled. "Great. Hey, Asami..."  
"Yeah?"  
A pause. This was going to take some doing. Very quickly, she responded: "I'm sorry I've been such a stick in the mud."  
To her relief, Asami laughed.  
"Don't worry about it, Korra. I try not to take too many things personally. In the business world you can't really afford to. But thanks anyway for apologizing, I appreciate it. "  
On a whim, Korra said: "We should go out sometime, just the two of us, I don't know you nearly as well as I should. I want to make all this up to you."  
"I'd like that."  
Happiness bubbled inside the Avatar. "Awesome. They're already at your house, right?" she asked.  
The Sato girl rolled her eyes. "Yes, the rascals. I think they're chasing a turtleduck that wandered into the mansion. We'll meet you downtown around seven, that work?"  
"See you guys then," said Korra. She put the receiver back in its cradle and went to go put on something else.  


Minutes later, she emerged in a simple but stunning black dress and ballet flats. Her hair was in a bun, her eyes rimmed by dark kohl and her lashes curled. She threw on a coat and as she was leaving bumped into Tenzin.  
"Well, don't you look lovely this evening, Korra." Like many wise men, he had learned that no time was a bad time for complimenting a woman.  
Korra blushed, a pleased and subtle pink. "Thanks, Tenzin, that's really sweet of you."  
"What's the occasion?" he asked.  
"I'm just headed out with the gang, we're going to check the Red Wolfbat downtown," she said.  
"Be careful. There are still a lot of Equalist sympathizers on the streets. It could be dangerous," he warned.  
She smiled and touched his cheek. "Thanks for always looking out for me, Tenzin." Standing on tiptoe, she planted a quick kiss on the side of his mouth.  
It was his turn to blush. Mind racing, he figured he should probably say something before she left instead of standing there like a dumbstruck schoolboy, so he called to her back: "Try and be back at a reasonable hour! And take the air glider!" Spirits, was that a quiver in his voice?  
Korra looked back at him over her shoulder, amused by the high color below his cheekbones. "Okay! See you soon!"  


He watched her take off, as always a little nervous whenever she left his sight.  
"Was that Korra heading out?" He turned and it was Pema.  
"Yes, she's going into the City for a little while with some friends. I told her--"  
"Is that _lipstick_ by your mouth?"  
A semi-guilty hand flew to his face, smudging fuchsia across his goatee. Pema put her hands on her hips.  
"Ah--it was Korra, she just kissed my cheek before she left." He cleared his throat: his face was the color of a tomato.  
Pema raised a slender brown eyebrow. "I see. And do you fuck every time you have a lesson, or is it just an occasional thing?"  
She would have _paid_ to capture the horrified expression on her husband's face. " _What?_ \--I-I don't--"  
Pema was tempted to let him bluster (he was so cute when he got like this) but she put him out of his misery by saying: "Kidding."  
He froze, midesentence mouth agape at his wife's vulgarity. She laughed. grey eyes glinting mischievously in the starlight. Her arms wound around his neck and she caught the familiar feel of his lips. A thrill shot through him when her tongue slid against his, and the back of his neck was not the only place he felt fire. Pema pulled back and gently wiped the makeup from his face.  
"Besides. I think"--her hand trailed down his robes, where they pressed against the heat of his pants: Tenzin's intake of breath was sharp enough to have been a whistle--"that you prefer mine anyway."  
"Pema..."  
She leaned against his shoulder and whispered: "Take me to bed." When her teeth grazed his ear he hoisted her up in his arms and fairly ran inside. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lin woke up at around midnight. Groggily, she threw back the covers and put her bare feet on the floor, which she instantly regretted: it was freezing. Her mouth tasted like an ox's backside and her head was pounding.  
 _What happened..._ But as soon as she saw the three ( _three!_ ) completely empty wine bottles littered around the foot of her bed, she remembered.  
 _Getting trashed by yourself is a very mature way to handle emotional indecision, Lin, what are you, seventeen?_ she berated herself.  
She stood cautiously, chagrined and embarrassed at her excess. "I'm definitely going to need a cup of tea," she muttered. She started down the stairs, and her stomach roiled uncertainly. The police Chief winced. "Make that three cups of tea." 

Lin stepped into a pair of slippers before weathering the cold of the tiled kitchen floor. Sprinkling a healthy amount of loose leaves inside, she put the kettle on the stove and set it to boil. She pulled back the blinds to look through her window, which had a view of the street. Even (especially?) at this hour, there were still people out roaming, some a little less effectively than others: she remembered that a new bar had just opened up across the street, so that was probably why there were so many--

Korra.

She was dressed to kill. A wave of longing rushed through Lin, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She could only watch as the woman she had made love to not twenty four hours ago stumbled exuberantly twenty yards away, supported by Mako on one side and Asami on the other. Bolin was several paces ahead of them, doing some kind of jig. They were all laughing.

Gritting her teeth, Lin was about to turn away when azure eyes that looked remarkably sober caught hers. She felt her heart hammering in her chest, her pulse accentuated by the effects of her hangover. The kettle moaned. Lin ignored it. Her lips parted.

_"What are you kids doing?" Lin ran out into the street, not even managing to notice the fine mist floating above the ground._  
 _"Having an insanely drunken, fun, but entirely legal time, Missus Chief of Police," said Bolin, saluting sloppily._  
 _"You fool, stop that. You're embarrassing yourself. And what is the Avatar doing out at this hour?"_  
 _"Nnn you're not the boss of me," murmured Korra, slurring her words. She shook off her two helpers and stuck a wobbly but insistent finger in Lin's face. "D'you hear me? You. Go. Away."_  
 _"Korra--" Mako began._  
 _"The rest of you go home," Korra cut him off. "I need to talk to Ms. Bei Fong alone, if you don't mind." Her eyes flashed._  
 _Mako looked indecisively at the Chief, but when she nodded confidently he collected his brother and started walking. Asami trailed behind. She mouthed to the Chief over her shoulder: take care of her. Lin mouthed back: I will, and the Sato girl turned to follow the two young men._  
 _When she had made sure they were gone, Korra started at a drunken volume which made waiting until her companions were gone sort of moot: "Now, I don't know who--"_  
 _Lin silenced her with her lips. Her hands were on Korra's cheeks, and they were gentle but insistent. She put all her yearning and her passion into that kiss, but most of all she breathed a chorus of "I'm sorry"s into the Avatar's mouth and down her neck until she was convinced that Korra believed her..._

The young woman across the street laughed and continued on her way. The kettle was screaming. Heavily, Lin turned it off and poured herself a cup of oolong, sitting down alone at her kitchen table to drink it.


	9. Dealing

"Good to have you back, Lin, I thought for sure I was going to have to have a talk with you about neglecting your duties!"  
The General gave a hearty laugh at Lin's sour face.  
"Oh, relax, Chief Bei Fong, I was just kidding. Even if you hadn't been sick, I would have happily given you the week off if you'd asked for it. Republic City needs its Chief healthy and happy, especially now."  
Lin bowed formally. "Thank you, sir."  
"Now brief me on recent developments."  
There wasn't much to tell him. The search for Amon continued. They'd made a breakthrough earlier in the week by finding an Equalist warehouse and keeping most of the contents as evidence, but the trail of where their supplies actually came from was pretty cold--stone, in fact. 

"Well, maybe you need some new eyes and ears on the ground, Chief. Have you talked to the Avatar?" said the General.  
The sound of the wind wasn't exactly a logical thing to hear in an enclosed space, but apparently that didn't stop Lin's mind from doing it. "The Avatar is...otherwise occupied, I believe. She joined Councilman Tarlokk's Task Force not long ago and I think that and ProBending has taken up most of her time."  
The General stroked his rather ample mustache. "Well, in any case, you need a fresh perspective on these cases. See what you can do about rounding up some recruits."  
"Yes, sir."  
"Very good, Chief Bei Fong."  
He reached across the table and shook her hand firmly--she returned his grip in equal measure. He gave her a winning smile and put an arm around her shoulders. In a more reserved tone, he said: "You know, I visited the cave that your mother is buried in during my time in the Earth Kingdom. Left a bouquet."  
Lin was touched. "That was--that was very nice of you, General."  
"She was a remarkable woman. What ever made her want to be buried in a cave, of all places?" he said.  
The Chief smiled, her jade eyes distant. "She wanted to be close to the badgermoles that had taught her earthbending in Gaoling. She always considered them to be her true parents. It was a bit of a scandal when she refused to be buried in the traditional family graveyard, although I think that partially her decision was one last stake of independence from my grandparents. My mother always disliked the trappings of society they were always trying to box her into."  
She looked up: the General was staring at her thoughtfully.  
"Ah, I'm sorry--babbling, I--"  
"Lin, I didn't realize you were the kind of person who apologized for things for which no apology is required," he said.  
That got a smile out of her. "You are much too charming for your own good, General Tao."  
He laughed as he opened the door for her. "You know, I get that a lot." 

They chatted animatedly as they walked through the hallways. Lin couldn't help but like the man. He was a hardened war hero that still managed to exude an air of geniality and approachability, something Lin had never quite mastered. She admired him for his steel and envied him for his magnetism. 

"Well, Chief, I think my inspection will find your performance quite satisfactory. Thank you for your hospitality," said the General.  
"The pleasure was mine, sir," replied Lin.  
Ever the gentleman, he bowed and took her hand, brushing his lips over her knuckles as he did so.  
"Call me Jun," he said.  
"All right...Jun."  
He smiled, a brilliant flash that would have won the heart of any woman, and tipped his hat at her. He exited the building with as much spring in his step as his old injuries would allow.  
Lin inhaled deeply before turning to head back to her office. She always enjoyed Tao's visits, and she couldn't deny that she was flattered by his attentions, if that's what they were. _There you go again--assumption. Haven't you learned?_ she thought to herself. But there was an uncommon fluidity in her movements that betrayed her pleased state. 

As she entered the Main Offices the active whispering she had heard before she opened the door ceased abruptly, and there was a flurry of activity. Papers being shuffled, typewriters being punched, throats being cleared. She rolled her eyes, supremely unconvinced.  
"Don't you all have better things to do than sit around and gossip like a bunch of old women?" she demanded. The officers' hooded and guilty looks were apology enough for her.  
"You there, Pahng."  
The young man stood from his desk at attention. "Yes, ma'am?"  
Lin had to stop herself from rolling her eyes again. "At ease. I want you to put together a recruiting team. Set up two satellite stations in the city, one for the north and one for the south. We're looking for healthy candidates with a vested interest in protecting the City. Start running some flyers, I'll contact the Sato Printing Press so they'll be expecting you. Are we clear?"  
"Yes ma'am," Pahng replied smartly.  
"Any questions, you come directly to me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Lin looked pointedly around the room, and the men busied themselves immediately. She was still shaking her head by the time she sat down in her leather chair to review some files and start making calls. Not five minutes later there was a knock at the door.  
Trying not to be exasperated, she said: "Come in," in the most professional tone she could muster.  


It was Mako.  
"Hi, Chief, how are you doing? I'm sorry to bother you, if you're busy I can always--"  
"No, no, sit. What can I help you with today?"  
Mako slid into the decidedly less nice but still impressive chair across from the policewoman's desk. His unruly black hair was still, somehow, spiked to perfection--Lin speculated on his use of gel, but more than likely it was just naturally like that. He was a handsome young man--Lin could, with no shortage of jealousy, see why Korra had been so head-over-heels for him.  
 _Been? More like_ is, she thought.  
"I heard that you're recruiting new officers," said Mako.  
Lin cocked her head at him. "That's a fairly recent--and when I say 'fairly' I mean as in the last forty eight hours--development. How did you come by this information?"  
"Well," said Mako, "Korra's been getting pretty chummy with Tarlokk lately, and since he's on the Council--"  
"--he's kept abreast of all Republic City news. I see. I should have known. Korra knows that she's not supposed to be sharing this information with civilians, yes?" said the Chief.  
"That's what I came here to talk to you about." Mako cleared his throat. "I want to join the force."  
Lin took a moment to appreciate the diplomacy of his answer. He hadn't specifically answered her question--he'd redirected to a statement that made her earlier concerns moot. He could be useful. She employed her most intimidating stare, the one she used in the interrogation room whenever particularly hardened criminals came through the system. She always insisted that she handle those cases personally.  
Mako wasn't sure how long he could hold this intense woman's eye, and he could feel the sweat on his bottom lip--the urge to lick it away was beyond uncomfortable. 

Just when he was about to cave, she said:  
"You're smarter than your pretty face suggests, Mako. We could use you."  
He breathed a sigh of relief--very, very slowly, so the Chief wouldn't notice. Then he picked up on her comment and did his best to hide a frown.  
Lin stood up and he followed her lead. "You'll start out as a beat cop. Impress me and you'll be on your way to detective. Cross me and you're out the door. Are we clear?"  
"Yes, ma'am," he said.  
"Good. You learn quick. That being said, I am always swayed by good evidence, and if you have legitimate concerns or leads you think I should know about, do not hesitate to tell me. I appreciate everyone's input--you never know how the smallest clue can impact the biggest case." She pointed to the door. "Officer Pahng will get you a uniform and assign you a route. Are you free to start tonight?"  
For the third time, Mako answered: "Yes ma'am."  
"Excellent. How is everyone?"  
It took him a moment to switch gears from obtaining-a-job talk to small talk. "Ah, great. Bolin's been doing really well in the ring, that's mainly what he focuses on nowadays. Asami's busy helping her dad with his company, and Korra"--he shrugged, smiled--"well, you know Korra."  
Lin forced what could only be characterized as a pained grin. Mako, oblivious, brightened. "In fact, I'll tell her to swing by tomorrow and see you. You and the Task Force should coordinate more." 

And before she could ask him just who exactly he thought he was, making suggestions about how she managed her police business; before she could tell him that seeing Korra would not be necessary, she would deal with Tarlokk directly (however distasteful the prospect was to her she didn't think she could bear seeing the Avatar again)--he was gone. Lin slumped into her chair and pressed a palm to the flat of her forehead. 

_Dammit._


	10. Confrontation

Korra liked to watch the sunrise over Air Temple Island: it was the only thing she could be persuaded to wake up early for. 

First it hit the water, making its surface diamonds, sparkling in the morning light. It reached the cliffs of the island next, turning the pale and washed-out rock a rich brown. Its tendrils swept the grass, highlighting the vibrancy of the green: the temple itself, shadowed in the pre-morning dark, sprung to life in bone white, dragon red and orange. When the light hit her face Korra closed her eyes, bathing in the heat. It was like every particle of her was opening up and sighing, sighing with deep and lasting satisfaction which accompanied her new level of awareness. Tenzin stepped outside, fresh from bed, to observe his pupil. 

Her retreat into long bouts of meditation both worried Tenzin and made him proud of her. On the positive end of his assessment spectrum, he was pleased with the fact that she was dealing with the increased stress and workload which accompanied her growing list of responsibilities--it signaled that she was maturing. On the other, less bright side of things, he had noticed her increased amount of emotional retreat. She was _Korra_ for Spirit's sake, lovely and headstrong and confident in her beliefs of right and wrong--she would never hold back her opinion, good or bad, because she believed that all things have a right to be aired honestly and openly. But he had noticed her doing just that: playing diplomacy with her words, silence with her hopes, fears, and (in)/decisions. Again, he wasn't sure this represented a genuine shift in maturity (not, of course, that he didn't believe that she was capable of that) or if it was her, essentially, becoming disillusioned.

He turned his eyes skyward. Of course, he would never discuss these concerns with her, at least not directly. He did not want to offend her, or wound her pride.

"Tenzin?" offered a voice. He turned his chin, which had been held by meditative fingers. A smile touched his lips.

"Well hello there, Avatar." She echoed his grin; it chanced across her face, surprising itself into existence. “Why so formal all of a sudden, sensei?” she said as she climbed the stairs to the pavilion to join him.

”I could ask you the same,” he gently replied.

Her expression turned rather serious, which was unusual for Korra. In the island sunrise she leaned browned arms against the polished orangewood railings, dropping her gaze to the city across the bay. After a moment she asked him, “Tenzin, when was the first time you ever fell in love?” Her tone had not changed: soft, questing, detached.

He blushed reflexively at her inquiry, feeling a little defensive at being asked this by his pupil. Then his composure resettled, and he felt touched that she would seek to ask him such a question better reserved for friends her age. It was a parental reaction, and he scolded himself for it: but he could not help but answer her.

The arrangement of his muscles fell into rueful contemplation. “The first woman…the first person, I ever fell in love with…was Lin Bei Fong.” He felt Korra’s eyes pierce him with questions, but he did not stop—could not stop, now that someone had finally touched the buried chest of emotion lying inside him. “She…Korra. I know you are training with her now, so you can begin to understand what I mean when I tell you that she is the strongest woman I have ever met.” His foreams leaned to match the color of the railing, one foot crossing the other as he watched Republic City shake itself noisily from slumber. He cleared his throat uncomfortably but pressed on. 

”She was the only woman that ever really disagreed with me, the only one that could make me upset and”— _aroused_ is probably not the best word to use in the presence of your barely legal student, he chided himself gruffly—“happy, in the same instance. That…baffled me. And it was partially because of that bite which kept me so in love with her.”

A breeze danced its way across the top of his head making him break out in gooseflesh, as if to emphasize the past splendor of that once-upon-a-time. His calm grey stare found the feminine planes of Korra’s face, and he watched a shadow cloak her eyes when he asked her: “Why so curious? A hint of pink flashed in her cheeks. “I…” _There_ was his Korra—her frustration and earnestness battling with equal measure within, making it obvious without. She bit her lip in a way Tenzin knew had been driving Mako crazy. 

_I’m in love with her too. Or, rather, I’m in love with the woman you once loved._ “I can’t really talk about it.” She returned his gaze in equal measure, apology written on her features. “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be. I am here to teach you and share with you what I can,” he replied.   
“May I ask…one more question?” she said.   
He shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”   
“What went wrong?” 

He was silent for a long while at that, to the point where the young Avatar was beginning to regret her decision to ask him. As she opened her mouth to apologize for her boldness, for her inquisitiveness which bore a certain lack of regard for his feelings, he said: “In the end, she didn’t want children.” That was it, plain and simple. He bit the inside of his cheek gently, then continued: “Her career as police chief was, _is_ , paramount. And in her vision there was no room to raise a child, no time to put into that effect. Which was, in the end, unacceptable to me.” He smiled then, as he waved good morning to a half-asleep Jinora, still dressed in her pajamas as she meandered to the kitchen, where the smells of Pema’s cooking were beginning to waft tantalizingly. 

“I love my children with everything I have, Korra. They are, in the end, the legacy of my heart and deeds. Continuing the line, for me, is…especially important.”   
“Do you think she was afraid?” said the Avatar.   
Tenzin sighed. “I don’t know, Korra.” His brow knit, smooth brown patchwork on cream. “There are some things I will never know.” In his voice was a yearning that Korra could only vaguely sense, so well was it hidden. They shared space together for a little while longer, enjoying the salt breeze and the warmth of the new day. Unexpectedly, Korra leaned her head against the soft, thin linen of his robes.   
“I miss my parents, Tenzin,” she said. In any other time, in any other place she would not have been caught dead saying those words. But her mentor had been forthright with her in a way that deserved reciprocation, and even if she didn’t realize that per se her intuition guided her along the proper path, between avenues of anger, hurt and loneliness.   
“Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing when I left. I know I have a duty to the world, but…don’t I also have a duty to them?” 

He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. “They understand, Korra. Your training comes before all else—they know that. They accept that. But that doesn’t mean they don’t miss you too. By that same coin…you have a responsibility far greater than any of us. You did not choose this path, it chose you. And that is something you can all take pride in.” 

He saw moisture in her eyes before she buried her face in his welcoming embrace. She whispered, “Thank you, Tenzin. For everything.”   
He smiled again. “The honor has always been mine, Korra.”   
When she looked up he saw the gratitude in her eyes, which quickly shifted back to the determination and fierceness which was so familiar to him.   
“We should get going. Chief Bei Fong is waiting,” said the Avatar. There was a timbre in her voice when she spoke Lin’s title that didn’t exactly sit right with Tenzin, but he put it out of his mind. They are constantly butting heads, after all. With a sweeping movement of his arm he gestured to their home: “At least have some breakfast first.” 

***

Lin was busy with preparations. Reports were being filed, forces were being consolidated—all of the turtleducks were to be in a row, in a manner of speaking. To top off having to deal with the sniveling and overly ambitious Tarloq, she had the additional and significant problem of the Avatar being present for their latest development.  
 _Korra and her little merry band are turning out to be quite the gaggle of important children_ , she thought bitterly. 

Mako, to her chagrin but not professionalism, had been promoted to detective within the week. It was he that had discovered the link between the Equalists and Sato Industries, snooping (working, she reminded herself) about the Sato mansion when he had stumbled upon some sort of hidden compartment in the house. 

_What he should have done at that point_ , thought Lin, _was to call immediately for backup and proceed accordingly once the area was secure_. But then again, the obscenely rich types tended to have all sorts of unsavory secrets hiding in hidden compartments—there was no real reason for Mako to suspect that Sato was hiding anything other than a particularly large array of inventive sex toys, or something of that ilk. Especially since they had been through all of the captain of industry’s warehouses earlier in the week (at the Avatar’s insistence) to check for any connection to Amon and his lackeys—of which there had been none, up until this point. The newly minted detective had just finished his debriefing.

Sato had gone to ground, whereabouts unknown: his daughter was currently being held in custody (to Korra and her merry band’s general outrage) pending the investigation. She had yet to be interrogated—everything was in utter chaos at the moment and Lin wasn’t entirely sure she could deal with her own emotional turmoil in combination with the crisis they had on their hands. Not to mention that once the information went public—which it undoubtedly would within the next twenty-four hours—all hell was going to break loose.

 _Just thinking about all this shit is giving me a fucker of a headache_. If she could not swear aloud in front of her colleagues, she was by no means going to censor herself inside of her own head. 

On cue, there were several insistent raps at the door of her makeshift situation room, a mostly unused conference room just a couple doors down from her office. She opened the door a crack, revealing a single, steely green eye whose gaze would have been enough to discourage anyone not meant to be in attendance from even uttering a word. 

“Chief Bei Fong, it is a comfort to see you,” said a smooth voice. 

She opened the door fully, pristine as always in her metal uniform. For once, she found she did not resent the presence of the Council’s youngest member. _We need all the help we can get right now_ , she thought. 

“Come in, Tarloq,” she said. He did; she shut the door behind him. 

“I’m the first one here?” he said with surprise, appraising their administrative surroundings. 

“It appears so,” replied Bei Fong, seating herself with a huff into the seat right of the table’s head. “General Tao is back at the Earth Kingdom on more diplomatic ventures—I sent someone to tell him of what’s going on here in Republic City.” 

“Couldn’t you just send a telegram?” queried Tarloq, biting into an apple with a perhaps inappropriate vigor. 

Lin narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you questioning my methods, councilman?” 

Tarloq swallowed but said nothing. It was answer enough for her. What she didn’t tell him was that the entire police force’s communications had been on the fritz ever since Sato’s disappearance, giving her serious thoughts about developing strict anti-monopoly policies in the future. Layman lines seemed to be unaffected so far, but there was no telling the depths of Sato’s technological dominance and how that played into Amon’s plan. _Even the police cruisers were manufactured by him for Spirit’s sake_. 

Another knock interrupted her increasingly anxious thoughts. “Would you be so kind as to get that, councilman,” said Lin distractedly. She missed the navy of his eyes darkening hatefully as he rose to answer the door. 

“Ah, Tenzin, Avatar, good of you to join us,” said Tarloq. Lin’s stomach churned and she allowed it to—for about three seconds. Then she stood up. “What kept you?” she asked, voice clipped. 

The Avatar opened her mouth to answer—and as she looked upon the woman who had rejected her she felt all the personal growth of the past few weeks shrink to the measure of how Lin had first viewed her.   
“We had to eat first,” she blurted. The police chief turned the wrath of her stare on the Avatar. 

“Is that so?” she deadpanned coldly. 

The moment would have hung suspended if not for the last by-blood airbender. “Lin, we have no time for trivialities. We are here now, to help, in whatever way we can,” said Tenzin. His grey eyes, filled with the genuineness which characterized his very being, softened her. His breath hitched, unnoticed, as she ran her fingers through her hair. 

“Very well then. What’s the status of the other Council members?” she asked. 

“En route,” answered Tarloq, sitting casually as he finished the last of his fruit. 

“Well I have no wish to give this presentation again, so while we wait there’s tea and I made a bit of coffee, if anyone’s interested.” 

“Don’t mind if I do,” said the youngest council member, popping up and pouring himself a steaming cup of slightly burned Fire Kingdom roast. 

The other three sat in awkward silence. Lin pretended to read the papers in front of her, but the same sentence kept drumming itself out until the number of mechabots they had found in Sato’s underground factory felt scorched onto her retinas. Korra was alternately trying to find something to look at other than the police chief, but (as was to be expected) was failing miserably. 

_If only you had just given me a chance_ , thought the Avatar, the rage she had been feeling ever since their first and only night together diluted by their current circumstances but by no means eradicated. Lin caught her eye once—just once.   
She did it to be polite, to cover the intensity of her longing and sorrow with the frigid annoyance she reserved for stupid officers and incompetent buffoons: it was a well-traveled guise and slipping into it was not difficult. But maintaining it was another matter, and as she beheld the blue sea storm of Korra’s eyes it took everything she had not to let those wayward and impossible fantasies of them together even enter her mind as their gazes locked. 

_You don’t know how many times I’ve thought about that night. You don’t know how many times I wish I had run after you in the rain by the Red Wolfbat. You don’t know—you can never know._

But Korra saw. For an instant, a chink in the police chief’s ironclad defense. What it meant she couldn’t say, but it meant something: the Avatar could only hope.

Tarloq said: “Oh, by the way, I meant to wish you luck tonight Miss Korra.” 

The Avatar looked up sharply. “Well thank you Tarloq, I appreciate that. Will you be there?” 

The young councilman sighed, inspecting the near-nonexistent dirt underneath manicured nails. “Alas, I believe I have some other arrangements. But I’m very sorry I can’t make it.” He seemed genuinely disappointed. 

Lin had been discreetly looking back and forth between the two. “And what is all this about now?” she asked. 

“It’s the ProBending championship tonight, chief,” said the girl quietly, still looking at Tarloq. 

“Ah yes, an incredibly important item on our list of occurring events,” said Lin acidly. 

Korra’s eyes flashed, and this time she did look at Bei Fong. “It wasn’t me who brought it up. Save your resentment for the people who deserve it.”

“And save your insolence for someone who will tolerate it!” Lin slammed the palm of her hand against the dark wood of the conference desk, the force of her blow splintering the wood in several places and sending a loud bang reverberating throughout the room, giving voice to the shock which was written on everyone’s face. 

Tenzin was the first to speak: “You are full of unnecessary hostility today, Chief Bei Fong. I suggest that you pull yourself together.” His gravel tones were not angry, but they nevertheless carried the hint of a warning. Lin rose from her seat and, with her back to them, opened a window. The air and sunlight calmed her—not as much as a long moment spent lying in the grass would have, but it sufficed for the moment. She breathed deeply, forcing herself to cut out all external stimuli and focus only on what was going on beneath the surface of her skin. She took five deep ones, then opened her eyes. 

“Thank you, Tenzin. I apologize for my outburst.” Her head turned to look back at the young woman, who felt like the sun-rimmed, gleaming police chief resembled something out of a fairy tale. 

She said, “I am not myself” in a way that Korra was plunged again into their mutual (though the Avatar could not know for sure whether this was so) pain. It crawled, hard and hot in her chest.   
There was no knock on the door to signal the arrival of the last two Council members, only the quiet shuffling of middle-aged dignitaries and mumbled apologies for their lateness. The chief turned to her audience. 

“So if you’ll allow me, let me describe the events which have gotten me so out of sorts.” 

An hour later, Amon delivered his warning. 


End file.
